My last day here, and of my trip, before I set off on what will probably amount to just under 24 hours travel. I will be very sad to leave Demani Lodge (my backpackers) and the friends I have made here. Turns out the Gangsta Rap is a very rare occurrence, and mostly I have been lulled ever deeper into a relaxed torpor with lovely reggae music (I couldn't even really hear the music from the party last week in my new lovely hut). Africa, or the small pieces of it I have seen, is wonderful. It somehow gets under your skin, and falling in love with it is very easy. People are curious, kind, (mainly) happy, and very funny. The wildlife and the countryside are amazing, and it's a little bit addictive. There are stark contrasts here, the most obvious being between the rich and the poor. I can't count how many times we have been stopped at roadblocks by police, looking for a bribe to be allowed to pass, or how the helicopter flew in a politician to Maasai land, where small children have one dress to wear. People are surprisingly optimistic though, and there is always a new plan to improve their lives - whether it ever gets done is another matter, but there always seems to be A Plan.
I wrote in an email to a friend the other day, that although I have been completely out of my comfort zone, working as a "doctor" for small children and babies, with a culture completely alien to my own, I felt more at home than I have done anywhere for a long time. If I needed a catalyst to prove that I need to change direction then this certainly served as one. Thank-you, London School Of Tropical Medicine, for giving me the inspiration to decide how that change comes about.
Now the tricky stuff begins - trying to rearrange my life so I can actually do this full time. As I said in my very first post - Bring It On.
No comments:
Post a Comment